The sharp tip of the arrow sliced through the ropes that bound Lotus’ hands. She pulled free and then let out a high-pitched sound; in her rage, it came out as a scream. The sound burst hit Kieran, making a loud boom on impact, and sent her flying back.
Lotus grabbed a key that hung from the side of the altar and quickly began unlocking Cael's manacles. Falcon’s eyes darted around, searching for the person who fired.
There was a squealing sort of war cry from above. Tikki stood on the railing of the balcony, surrounded by four dead guards.
Falcon barely had time to smile at her before something touched his leg. He looked down to find Jade, who was holding a dagger in his mouth. Falcon bent down and took it from him. He cut himself and Julia free before tossing the dagger to Lotus so she could cut the ropes that were still tied around Cael’s wrists.
As soon as Julia was freed, she wasted no time casting her first spell. She yelled some choice words at the high priestess, and a lightning bolt shot from her hand. Kieran’s shoulder was hit, throwing her back again.
She got up and screamed at Julia before hurling a glowing red ball, but Julia had remembered her shield; blue cracks appeared in front of her chest as it hit. Lotus joined her, handing the dagger to her and then belting out another single high-pitched note at the high priestess.
Falcon looked over at the guards in the doorway. Badger stood there instead, the guards lying at his feet. The orc carried an armload of stuff, which Falcon realized was their packs and weapons. He ran to him.
Cael went, too, grabbing his swords before running toward two humanoid creatures that were climbing out of the lava pit, their whole bodies covered in flames like living infernos. The ranger's chest and stomach were covered with blood, but if he was in pain he didn't show it, nor did his wounds slow him down. Falcon raced to his side, slashing at one of the fire elementals with his frost sword. It sizzled, but kept coming.
Meanwhile, Xavien ran to the throne and pulled someone out from behind it. It was a little boy, no older than five. He looked very much like Kieran, with the same birthmark on his wrist, though he had Xavien's hair and eyes.
The heir looked over at his mother, then gave his father a contemptuous glare before pulling free and taking a dagger from his belt. With the weapon in hand and a fierce look in his eyes, he started towards Kieran’s attackers, but Xavien grabbed him around the waist and pulled him back, then hurried with the struggling child to the exit. Badger went for them as they drew near, but a glowing red ball hit his chest and he stumbled back a few steps. Xavien and the child slipped past, escaping, just as several hellhounds bounded into the room.
Julia took advantage of Kieran's distraction and shot an ice shard. The high priestess barely dodged it and immediately shot back with her divine magic. Julia moved, but it hit her arm. She cried out as she covered the wound with her hand.
Tikki squealed another battle cry and jumped down from the balcony. She landed nimbly on Badger’s shoulders, then started firing at one of the hellhounds while the orc swiped at another.
“Dog not shoot fire at Tikki! Tikki shoot dog in the face!” A second later, the hellhound yelped loudly and fell to the floor with a heavy thud, the end of an arrow sticking out of its eye. Another stepped over the body and snapped viciously, its long, sharp teeth glistening and its slanted eyes glowing like burning embers in a fire.
Tikki fired, and the arrow embedded itself in the monster’s shoulder. It snarled ferociously and bit back. The hellhound’s teeth caught the front of her bow, and she had no choice but to release it. “Stupid dog!” she yelled, then flipped down onto the ground beside it and pulled her dagger out. It turned toward her. “Tikki kill you good!”
The hellhound Badger was fighting snapped again, and this time bit the orc’s forearm. Badger bellowed loudly, enraged, and slammed his other fist down onto the monster’s head. When it let go, he grabbed two great big handfuls of its coarse black fur. With a load roar, he threw the hellhound with all his might, sending the thing over the glowing ledge nearby.
Cael jumped aside just in time, letting the hellhound collide with the fire elemental. It took the fiery humanoid with it as it fell into the lava below. The ranger glanced back at the orc while Falcon slashed again at the remaining elemental.
“Sorry,” Badger said.
Cael just shook his head before turning back to help Falcon, but a light distracted them just a moment later. It was a single shaft of light, shining down like a spotlight on the altar.
Flames suddenly lashed out at Falcon as the elemental’s long, fiery fingers touched him, burning his chest. He jumped back, grunting in pain. Cael’s hand grabbed his wrist for a few seconds, backing away with him and the stinging subsided with the ranger’s healing magic.
Just then, Kieran ran to the throne, Julia and Lotus having been knocked to the ground. “It’s time, sister!” she called joyfully.
A shard of ice flew between Cael and Falcon, hitting the elemental. It hissed loudly. Julia immediately fired again, using her other hand. This time, Cael moved his hands through the air with inhuman speed, Julia’s ice shard increased to five times its normal size and hit the creature with enough force to knock it back into the pit.
Meanwhile, Kieran untied her twin and dragged her toward the altar. Lotus ran forward, but Kieran opened her hand, and a glowing red ball sent her flying back.
Julia and Falcon started for the priestess together, just as Cael was attacked by the last hellhound. Amiya was already standing next to the altar, but Kieran had no blade. She turned and ran at Julia, grabbing her wrist and beginning to chant. A deep red mist seeped into Julia’s skin until her eyes filled with it. She suddenly gave Falcon a deadly glare as she dropped her dagger into Kieran’s waiting hand, and headed toward him.
Julia attacked, and Falcon barely dodged her ice shard. “Jules.” He moved to the side as a fireball flew past him. “Jules, stop!” He ran toward her, ducking to avoid another. When he reached her, he grabbed her arms, holding them at her sides. “Jules, listen to me.”
She broke free from his grasp and raised her hand, her eyes glowing a solid red.
“Sorry,” Falcon said and backhanded her, causing her to whirl around and fall forward onto the floor. He looked back at Kieran to see Amiya actually struggling with her.
He was shocked to see that Amiya had the orb, but Kieran used the same glowing magic that she had used on Julia, and Amiya dropped it. The gray ball hit the floor and Kieran kicked it. This time the orb fell into the pit and was gone. Kieran grabbed Amiya’s hair and started pulling her to the altar.
Suddenly, Amiya wrapped both arms around Kieran’s waist. She met Falcon’s gaze and actually smiled at him before intentionally falling backwards, taking the high priestess with her.
Kieran’s eyes widened and she screamed as both sisters went over the edge and into the pit. Seconds later, her cries were silenced as they both hit the surface, sinking into the lava.
Just then, something hit Falcon from behind. He landed face-first on the hard marble floor, and everything went dark.
